Queens anybody ?? Why Is Queens Called Queens? Sure, you can bet our borough is named for a Queen, but which one? Here's the answer to Queens name. Queens, or western Long Island, was once called Sewanhacky by the Algonquins. That name survives these days as Sewanhaka High School, just over the border in Nassau County. More Algonquin and other Native American names survive in Queens like Maspeth and Jamaica, which isn't named for the island. How Did Queens Get Its Name? More Queens Basics